St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-28
DROUTH AT BISMARCK.
The Flood Disappears in the Night and
Leaves Vast Expanse Of Dilapi-
dated Meadows.
Another Big Gorge in the Vicinity Of
Washburn the Cause of the Fall of
the Water.
The Casualties at Points Further
South Quite Numerous and Very
Serious.
Heavy Snow in Iowa and Wisconsin,
Gov. Church Finds the Eleven
Missing Bills.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the GLOBE.
BISMARCK. March GA very marked
change has occurred i'll the condition of the
floods at and in the vicinity of this city.
What was yesterday an almost unlimited
ocean of surging and tumbling mud and
water is to-day vast expanse OF meadow
land and farms, with numerous puddles or
small pools of standing water. During the
night the floods took walk. and to-day
Bismarck looks down Oh the plain below in
calm serenity as if nothing had ever oc-
cured to disturb the coming boom. This
sudden transformation of an ocean of wa
ters into dry land is the result of another
immense and complete ice gorge between
this city and Washburn. The head of sup
plies has been thus completely cut off so
suddenly that twelve hours worked the
seemingly miraculous change recorded.
Just what effect this new gorge
has had upon the upper country can at this
time only be surmised. But it is safe to
predict that reports will soon reach here
that Washburn and vicinity are out OF
sight again. This sudden receding of water
will afford the unfortunate family on Sib-
ley island an opportunity to escape, but it is
evident from the very nature OF things that
this is only short respite, and that as soon
as the new gorge has given way the water
will again come back nearly, if not quite,
to its former position. This knowledge
has prevented any attempt on the part of
property owners toward improving the con-
dition of their property in the inundated
section south of the city. This quarter now
presents wretched appearance. The sud-
den receding of waters has left the face of
the country exposed, with here and there
RAGGED AND JAGGED
patches of ice. where it was left on its way
to the gorge below. Houses that before
the flood were fine, clean-looking and
beautiful residences are to-day dilapidated,
and covered over with thick coating of
Missouri river mud. Most of them contain
all the furniture just as they We're occupied
prior to the inundation. The gorge at and
below the city still remains firm, with no
indications of giving away. No transfer
of freightS has yet been attempted, and it
will be several days before such thing
could be attempted. Passengers and bag
gage are all transferred with but little
delay or inconvenience. The railroad COM
pany has in many ways shown during the
extremity of this disastrous period that a
corporation may, and sometimes actually
does have soul. thus clearly demonstrating
that the legal distinction between corpora
tion and individual is not only unjust but
clearly untrue. A corporation that will for
ten days feed its passengers free of charge
and furnish poor woman money to reach
her journeys end to meet her anxious and
waiting husband on the Pacific coast is not
soulless. The day has been stormy. All
day long the snow has fallen steadily and
continually. but has melted almost as fast
as it has fallen, and but light covering of
snow is now on the ground. This is very
encouraging to farmers. as it affords oppor-
tunity for the ground TO become thoroughly
saturated before cropping time arrives. The
outlook for farmers in Burleigh county Is
very tiattering, through the assistance of the
railroad company in procuring seed wheat.
and plenty of rain or snow will make the
face Of nature smile with prosperity.